Keynote Speakers

COAL is proud to present two phenomenal keynote speakers in 2018. Each speaker will also lead the pastor's track for their corresponding week.

North – RACIAL JUSTICE, WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?

Rev. Dr. Marie Onwubuariri

Racial justice is multifaceted topic which carries deep sensitivities and implications, but also endless opportunities for engagement. Our pastor’s track will begin with a foundational belief that the active concern for the equitable worth and well-being of all of God’s people, regardless of racial or ethnic identity, is inherent in our call to follow Jesus Christ. From this foundation, participants will spend time considering two particular components of Christian engagement in the work of racial justice – the importance of the discipline of self-awareness, and the variety of approaches based on one’s gifts, concerns, and context. Participants will also receive tools which may be helpful as they incorporate their learning in their leadership practices.

About our Speaker

Rev. Dr. Marie Clare P. Onwubuariri serves as Regional Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin. As a minster Marie strives to embody an approach which integrates cultural self-knowing, interpersonal and organizational practices which ensures equity for all people, and a deep trust in the work of the Triune God. She holds a BS in Business Management from Binghamton University (NY), and both a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from ABSW (Berkeley, CA). Marie is co-editor and chapter contributor of Trouble the Water: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice (Nurturing Faith, 2017). Her balancing grace is each opportunity she can take to share her gifts as poet, photography, and pianist with others. Rev. Marie’s home is in Brookfield, Wisconsin where she lives with husband Franklin, and children Anaya and Sol.

South – THE CHURCH, WELCOMING THE STRANGER

Rev. Ray Schellinger

During our time together we will review the biblical mandate to welcome and serve the stranger, the foreigner and the dispossessed. Participants will also learn about innovative ways of responding to this biblical mandate. How is God calling us to collaborate and respond in light of our current climate? We will also look at how others from various US and international contexts are also responding to this call.

About our Speaker

The Rev. Ray Schellinger began serving as IM global consultant for Immigrants and Refugees on July 1, 2017. In this role, he networks with both IM colleagues and international partners who work with refugees and displaced peoples. Schellinger works to construct bridges between IM’s global partners and American Baptist Churches in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico, providing opportunities to serve some of the most vulnerable people in the world. He also hosts several cross-cultural volunteer teams each year, where participants learn about the struggles of migrants, the realities of global immigration and border policies. Ray and his wife, Adalia Gutiérrez Lee, were commissioned in 1994 to serve as missionaries in Nicaragua. The couple currently resides in Pennsylvania, where Gutiérrez Lee serves as IM area director for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean.